Fire in the home is a real threat for us all, yet the majority of people fail to recognise the danger of fire before it is too late, with devastating effects.

Between April 2010 and March 2011 there were 388 fire related deaths in Britain, the majority of which (over three quarters) 306 occurred in dwelling fires. Almost all fires start off small, and then grow in intensity very rapidly.

In as little as three minutes, your living room can become a raging inferno with temperatures in excess of 800 degrees.

Fire sprinklers in the home are a relatively new concept in the UK, but their popularity is growing as component parts, installation costs fall, and their un-doubtable life and property saving benefits are recognised by building regulators, the Fire and Rescue Service and the general public.

Domestic fire sprinklers activate when a certain level of heat is detected at ceiling level. The sprinklers then douse the fire with water localising the fire and restricting the spread.

Only sprinklers within close proximity to the fire will be activated, meaning water will only be released in the places directly affected by the fire. They do not operate all at once as portrayed in the movies.

Sprinklers provide automatic fire protection for your entire family.

They are the only proven method of saving lives when people become trapped in the home or when fire breaks out in the middle of the night when occupants are sleeping.

No one wants to think about fire deaths, third degree burns or even losing a loved one to fire, but these tragedies occur daily throughout the world.

Case History - Resettlement project, Exeter

At 5am on the morning of the 18August 2010, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service were called to a third floor kitchen fire, one sprinkler head activated to suppress and control the fire.

The actions by the crews were limited to the clearance of smoke with ventilation fans and the removal of water with mops and buckets. Two pumping appliances attended the incident and were ready for further emergency calls within one hour due to the operation of the sprinkler system.

The picture below shows the actual kitchen fire after the operation of the sprinkler system.

No one was injured in the fire and disruption was minimal crucially, the block continued to serve its residents without the need for relocation due to the fire.

The picture below shows a similar Kitchen fire, without sprinklers fitted

Sprinklers fitted in both Domestic and Commercial properties have been proven to reduce the impact of fire on both human life and damage to property. They are potential a life and property saving tool that have many benefits, however, there are common misconceptions about sprinklers that are stopping people installing them.

Facts

Only the sprinkler head (s) directly affected by the fire activate

Sprinklers attack the fire quickly and directly so less water is needed as they also operate the fire alarm, the flow can be quickly turned off when the fire is out.

Operational smoke detectors do save lives, however they do nothing to extinguish a growing fire

The odds of winning the lottery are greater than the 16 million to one chance of a sprinkler malfunctioning.